Seabrook Residents Accept Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge and Win Trex Composite Bench

Last October, Seabrook Retirement Community’s Green Committee accepted a challenge from Trex, a company that makes products from recycled materials, to collect and recycle 500 pounds of plastic bags and plastic film within a six-month time frame. Residents pulled together and beat the challenge by collecting 1,346 pounds of plastic bags.

“With the support and dedication of our Green Committee, consisting of residents Phil Freedman, Pat Driscoll, Bonnie Marsh, Beverly Hausker, Regina Thomas, Ann Scatina, and Tom Pederson, Seabrook is committed to keeping plastic bags and plastic film from filling our landfills and oceans,” said Seabrook’s Project Manager Karen Kollmer. “This is just the beginning as our residents are continuing to use our recycling bins on campus to support this worthwhile cause.”

Trex rewarded Seabrook’s efforts with a free high-performance composite bench, which the Green Committee donated to its partners at the Borough of Tinton Falls. On August 15 during Seabrook’s resident meeting, Kollmer presented the bench to Tinton Falls Council President and Seabrook Resident Gary Baldwin and Tinton Falls Director of Public Works Gary Gebele.

“On behalf of the Tinton Falls Borough, we gratefully accept this wonderful donation for our town and thank Seabrook residents for their recycling efforts,” said Gebele.

Seabrook’s has initiated other green initiatives on campus. In 2016, Seabrook opened its approximate 4-megawatt net-metered Solar Farm, located on the perimeter of campus, which helps reduce Seabrook’s carbon footprint as well as produce 20% of the community’s annual electric load.

“Seabrook is proud to be one of the greenest retirement communities in New Jersey,” said Seabrook Executive Director Todd DeLaney. “Thank you to our residents and staff for supporting our recycling and sustainability programs on campus.”

Seabrook is one of 19 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living. The scenic 98-acre campus is located in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and is home to more than 1,400 residents. The community was named to NJBIZ’s list of “2017 Best Places to Work in New Jersey.” For more information, visit www.seabrookcommunity.com.

Photo 1: from left, Seabrook Project Manager Karen Kollmer presents Trex composite bench to Tinton Falls Director of Public Works Gary Gebele and Tinton Falls Council President Gary Baldwin.

Photo 2: Seabrook’s Green Committee – Back row, from left, Seabrook Project Manager Karen Kollmer, Pat Driscoll, Ann Scatina, Phil Freedman; Front row, from left, Bonnie March, Beverly Hausker, Regina Thomas (not pictured Tom Pederson)